Oily Skincare Solutions for Men

Find out what causes oily skin in men and how to prevent it best.

WHAT IS OILY SKINCARE FOR MEN?

Oily skin is when the sebaceous glands in the skin produce excessive amounts of sebum. Sebum is a sticky, oily substance comprised of various fat molecules and squalene, whose purpose is to hydrate, protect and help provide antioxidants to the skin. However, when sebum is excessively produced, it can mean the skin becomes oily and greasy.

WHAT CAUSES OILY SKIN IN MALES

Men are typically more prone to getting oily skin due to increased levels of hormones and the skin being thicker. Men have larger sebaceous glands and produce twice the amount of sebum in response to this increased hormone testosterone.

There are a few common causes for excessive oil production:

Improper Cleansers
Using harsh cleansers on the skin. If you notice you have oily skin, it may be tempting to scrub aggressively and over-cleanse the skin. This will in fact only make oily skin worse as using harsh cleansers results in excess sebum production. This is the skin's natural reaction to compensate and produce more oil in an attempt to protect the skin.

Environmental factors
If you are in a dry climate and are experiencing dry skin, this can lead to this increased sebum production, or if you are in a humid climate, this can also lead to increased sweat and oily skin.

Diet
Your diet has a bigger impact on your skin than you may realise, if you find yourself producing excessive sebum/oil it may be down to what you're consuming.
These certain food categories listed can trigger excessive oil production:
-Salt
-Red meat
-Sugar
-Dairy
-Alcohol

Stress
When a person becomes stressed the level of the body's stress hormone cortisol increases, which leads to excessive oil production. It’s therefore important for those experiencing oily skin to find time to relax and keep stress levels low.

Testosterone
If you have higher than normal testosterone levels or you are experiencing your testosterone levels changing, which is commonly experienced through puberty, this can also result in excessive production of sebum.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF OILY SKIN

Although oily skin can lead to breakouts and can be frustrating to deal with at times, oily skin still has its benefits.

Disadvantages of oily skin for men:

-May clog pores
The most significant disadvantage of oily skin is that it often clogs pores, which often leads to breakouts.

-Shiny face
Oily skin can give the appearance of glowing skin, however there is a fine line between this and the appearance of shiny and greasy skin.

-More attention to skincare
Having oily skin means that you have to take more care in what products you choose to use on your skin and be more aware of how to care for your skin.

Advantages of oily skin for men:

-Hydrates and moisturises the skin
Oil is a form of moisturiser, if you find yourself to have naturally oily skin this can be a blessing as it’s likely you won’t suffer from dry and flaky skin.

-Protects against the environment
Oily skin can act as a protective barrier against external forces such as wind, air pollution and the sun.

man holding a Nivea Sensitive Menalist Face Cream

MEN'S SKIN CARE FOR OILY SKIN

The trick to oily skin is to keep it simple as overcompensating can in fact make the issue worse.

Wash without over-washing
As mentioned before overwashing can lead to dry skin and this vicious cycle between both dry and oily skin. Try a gentle face wash to get rid of your oily skin as this will help regulate sebum production without drying out the skin.

NIVEA MEN Sensitive Face Wash is an alcohol-free face wash that provides instant relief from 5 signs of skin irritation: burning, dryness, tightness, itchiness and impurities. It ensures you clear the skin of any built-up oils while also not drying it out.

Exfoliate any dead skin
This is to unclog your pores and reduce sebum buildup effectively. You should not exfoliate more than twice a week as this can irritate the skin and lead to dryness, which commonly has the knock-on effect of more oily skin.

Use a non-greasy, fast-absorbing moisturiser
Although it may seem wrong to add moisturiser to oily skin, it is important as this will stop any further sebum production as a reaction to dry skin. You should however choose a non-greasy/fast-absorbing moisturiser to decrease that oily skin look, which also applies to any SPF you also apply after.

NIVEA MEN Face Cream